Monday, September 17, 2007

News of the Day, Monday, September 17, 2007

Quick hits today:
  • WI starting a prison hospice program. Won't be the last state to do so.
  • The reason why corr sent reform is so hard. OR conservatives may propose yet another initiative to up penalties, this time denying probation to burglars, car thieves, or drug dealers, if it increases prison pops 3000-6000 in the next 4 years. Of course, OR is a state that can happily spend $1 m. just on one prisoner in a decade.
  • NV dealing with parole backlog, trying to speed up release of 1200 prisoners. Meanwhile, another problem the state is facing is DUI offenders not wearing the "distinctive" clothing they're supposed to be wearing to define themselves as drunk drivers when they do their community service.
  • Bunch of stuff out of IL. Crime mostly down, but murders and robberies up. Love what this does to the assertions that we can tell how effective a corr sent policy is by looking at changing crime rates. Meanwhile, they can't find 8% of the sex offenders they're supposed to be tracking. Maybe one of the reasons is that, unlike child sex offenders, adult sex offenders don't have to get therapy in prison--it's optional. Hmm. In their favor, though, they're considering legislation to go after those abominable "alcopops."
  • FL opening its biggest for-profit prison, with a formerly "opposed" fed prison official now seeing the light and heading it.
  • CA trying "parole lite," as it's called by critics, for some selected offenders. Those critics don't think it will have much impact, and the DOC secretary, who in my experience is disturbingly honest, doesn't dispute it. Still, it's an experiment worth trying.
  • Finally, AZ's tough new law for DUI folks, with mandatory ignition locks for first-time offenders and mandatories for the "superextreme" drunks (.20 or higher) going into effect. Surely someone's monitoring and evaluating. Based on a NM law that's reportedly effective. Let's keep track.

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